The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Ball State
UAB Loses To Ball State Sunday To Split Series
2/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 24, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB baseball team lost the fourth and final game of its opening weekend series with Ball State, 15-8, at Young Memorial Field Sunday afternoon. The Blazers rallied to stage a late-inning comeback, but the 13 runs the Cardinals scored in the final five innings, including a five-run ninth, put the game out of reach.
UAB and Ball State are each 2-2 on the season following Sunday's game.
Kolbrin Vitek earned the win on the mound for Ball State after allowing just one run in five innings, while striking out six. UAB junior Beau Pender was tabbed with the loss after pitching just 1.2 innings before leaving the game with an injury.
Sophomore shortstop Jonathan Merritt led the Blazers at the plate, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, while junior center fielder Cody McMurry was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Ball State was paced by first baseman Matt Stoeklen, who was 3-for-5 with four RBI and four runs scored after jump starting his day with a two-run home run in the first inning.
The Cardinals built a 9-1 lead midway through the sixth inning before the Blazers began to chip away at the BSU lead.
RBI singles by McMurry and sophomore third baseman Luke Stewart scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth and then, in the seventh, Merritt singled and later stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch to put himself in position to score on a two-run triple by junior right fielder Austin Taylor that just missed clearing the right field wall for a home run.
Trailing 10-6 with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, UAB got a two-run double to left center field by senior Phil Bell, who had just checked in as a pinch hitter, to cut the Ball State lead to 10-8.
The Cardinals managed to get out of the eighth inning jam maintaining a two-run lead that they extended to seven after plating five runs in the ninth to pull away for the 15-8 victory.
UAB will travel to play at Mississippi State at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
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